I was hoping to get a break in the storm to pack up and get on the water. That never happened. I kept waiting for better weather but about mid afternoon I decided I would call this home for the day and get back after it tomorrow. It was a good thing since I was surprisingly still exhausted from taking time off. The great thing about life is that tomorrow is always a new day and you can start over.
July 28
I was asked if my muscles were sore from taking off a week from paddling. No I feel great. But mentally I'm not back in it. I felt like I was getting nowhere today. I couldn't find a current in the entire river. So every time I stopped paddling I would either sit still or go backwards. It's very frustrating. I turned a corner and could see Natchez. Only problem was it was 10 miles away. It's the worst when you can see something right in front of your but can't grab it. When I finally made it close to town I passed a guy on a boat tied up to shore. He asked if I started at the head waters? I told him Columbus,OH. He said that was far enough. It made me feel good. He told me to hit the bar at the top of the boat ramp, I'm only a beer away. I laughed and said I would stop up there. Not for a beer but because it's the oldest bar on the river. And Mark Twain use to hang out there when he was a riverboat captain. They don't know what year it was built exactly because the courthouse burnt down but know a few year window. It looks like a place I could have posted up for a few days. I counted 3 dogs inside and looked like nothing had changed in 100 years. A lot of old photos on the walls, basically a museum. When I was leaving I was talking with some locals out front and a guy came up with a beat up guitar. He introduced himself as King Richard. He played a song he had written. I figured I should get a video of it just to remember this experience. I asked if I could film him if I gave him a few bucks. Next thing you know he led me into the courtyard and gave m a full concert. Original songs, gospel, Rock, Achey Breaky Heart, and closed with stairway to heaven. I had to cut him off and get out of town. I paddled off into the sunset feeling better and found a nice camp site. There is a chance of rain tonight then all day tomorrow. Which is good because it will cool things off. The bad part is at 11 PM it's 83 out. It says it feels like 95. And with the rain expected I put the rain fly on my tent so it's like a sauna in here. I don't think I have been excited for rain to cool things off instead of making the water rise. But that would be nice too.
July 27
First full day back on the water. It surprisingly wasn't as mentally challenging as I expected. It was good to be back on the water. I didn't make it as far as I would have liked but I will take the 35 miles I did get. It means I have 28 miles to do tomorrow to get to Natchez, a historic river town. This section has several large sandbars, perfect for camping. I found one and posted up glad to just be getting back into the swing of things. The stars are amazing and welcoming me back to the wilderness.
July 26
Barely getting any sleep last night it was off to the airport to head back to the river. It's amazing how stressful life can be when time is an issue. I went up to the counter to check in and the lady directed me to the kiosk. This is one thing I hate. I would rather deal with a person then try and figure out some machine. The same reason I go into the bank instead of using the ATM. I feel like I'm saving someone's job by not using the robot. The lady at the ticket counter did checked me in on the kiosk and I'm still not sure why we couldn't just do it at the counter. I proceeded to the security check. I had been through and through my bag to make sure I didn't have a knife stashed away somewhere. But I don't thing they were worried about a knife when they pulled me out of the line. They proceeded to give me a full pat down then it was off to go through my bag. The guy covered every inch of it with the explosive detecting wand then pulled everything out for inspection. By this point my flight was close to boarding and I was almost willing to tell him to keep it all. I was finally cleared with only losing my camping lighter that somehow made it through the first time and boarded my flight. Connecting through Charlotte i had about an hour and a half layover. Normally this would have been plenty of time to get a good buzz on. Instead I started walking from the last gate in concourse E to the end of B. Everyone knows concourse B stands for Bojangles. The Cajun Chicken Biscuit meal hit the spot. I took my time walking back and realized there was a lot of neat things in the airport other than bars. Who would have thought? After a quick nap on my flight to Jackson I was in the car with my undercover Uber driver heading back to Vicksburg. He dropped me off at The Walmart to resupply on food. I walked around for a while then headed across the street to McDonalds to eat and wait for my next ride that had my boat. After about an hour or so I was heading back to the river. I tried my best to repack all my gear in the right place but it was easier to just throw it in the boat and go. I said my good buys and headed down river. It felt good to be on the river again. I felt like I was flying. I made it about 8 miles and found a spot to camp. Hard to believe I was so far away in air conditioning now in the matter of a day I'm back to camping the heat. But it's back to work and tomorrow feels like a Monday.
July 20
Thank goodness I used uber to get to the airport because the driver offered to take me back to Vicksburg when I return for the same cost a taxi to the airport from Jackson cost me. And he would take me where ever I wanted to go. I surprisingly made it through security with out a hitch. As I was waiting for my flight I started thinking about how much time and money I use to spend on drinking in airports. It truly was one thing I enjoyed. It kind of blows my mind how quickly I could fly to back to Columbus when it took me so long to paddle from there. I was greeted at the airport by my brother and niece and nephew. It was a reminder of how much I miss them but I know what I am doing is important.
July 20
Thank goodness I used uber to get to the airport because the driver offered to take me back to Vicksburg when I return for the same cost a taxi to the airport from Jackson cost me. And he would take me where ever I wanted to go. I surprisingly made it through security with out a hitch. As I was waiting for my flight I started thinking about how much time and money I use to spend on drinking in airports. It truly was one thing I enjoyed. It kind of blows my mind how quickly I could fly to back to Columbus when it took me so long to paddle from there. I was greeted at the airport by my brother and niece and nephew. It was a reminder of how much I miss them but I know what I am doing is important.
July 19
Up early, treated to a home cooked breakfast then it was off. I got dropped off at the Greyhound station for my hour ride to Jackson. The station doubles as a Western Union office. I watched a girl come in barefoot and paying with change that everything screamed addiction. I was outside waiting for the bus and a guy asked if I minded if he smoked weed. It doesn't bother me and a few years ago I would have joined in for sure. I made it to Jackson and hung out with some like minded people then got a cab to the airport to see if I could get on an earlier flight. It was more expensive than a a hotel so I decided to just get a cab to a hotel. After another shower I still felt dirty but headed to Golden Corral to destroy the buffet. It's amazing how I can eat what ever I want now that I'm burning thousands of calories all day everyday. When I got back to the hotel I asked about the cheapest way to the airport and they said Uber. I wish I would have known about that before i spent so much on taxis. I relaxed the rest of the night and got some much needed sleep.
July 18
Last day paddling before I go home for a week so it seemed like every paddle stroke took for ever. It's only 10 miles to Vicksburg. The sun was beating down but knowing I am getting off the river it's bearable. When I reached Vicksburg I had to go up the Yazee River 1.2 miles to the boat ramp. I wanted to just get off the river and into some AC. I found a tree to shelter from sun. As close as I was to the ramp, it knew I needed to get my body temp back down or I would be in trouble. After cooling off I paddled up to the boat ramp and locked up my boat. My contact in town wasn't meeting me for a few hours so I headed to the Lower Mississippi River Museum. It was neat to see more information on the river I have been paddling for so long. I went across the street for a real meal of Shrimp Tacos. After all it is taco Tuesday. I was sitting at the bar when it hit me. A feeling I haven't had the entire trip but knew I would at some point. I was sitting at the bar shaking. I was frozen out by the AC. After being in the heat for so long by body couldn't handle the cold. I ate faster and payed my check. I went back to the boat ramp and met the guy who was going to be keeping my boat while I go home. He's another guy I met on the internet. I still laugh when people ask how I meet these people I stay with and I tell them on the internet. We loaded up my boat and headed for his house. But first I got the tour of the city. We went to an overlook to see the river. It looked massive from up there. He also explained the civil war significance of the river at that point. He owns a kayak tour business on the river so his knowledge was awesome. We unloaded my gear and I got the shower that was much needed. Then it was talking river and watching videos on the river till bed time. It's an early rise for the next leg of my journey, this time on land.
July 17
Somehow, someway, I am going to learn to get up early to beat the heat. I was on the river by 9 this morning, which is early for me. I got about 20 miles in before I felt myself almost passing out from the heat. I figured I would find a shady beach and take a break for an hour to cool off. I finally found one and decided I should set up my hammock and relax. I actually have two hammocks with me. One with bugnetting and a tarp. And one for just lounging. I chose the latter because it's easy (to setup) and breezy. I was miserable. I should have just kept paddling. The clouds would shift and my shade was gone. And the bugs were even more annoying. After I realized I couldn't take it any more I saddled up and headed back into battle. I got to thinking how sometimes it's better to just fight through the pain and discomfort to get where you're you want to go.
July 16
Like every time I start after not paddling a full daytime a struggle. I started cursing myself for not pushing on yesterday. After I decided to get over my pitty party things got better briefly. That is until that hot Deep South Mississippi Sun came back to visit. There is no hiding from it and the constant cycle of sweating came back full force. It starts dripping down my face, fogs my glasses, I have to remove my glasses and starts burning my eyes. All my clothes are soaked so I have nothing to wipe my eyes with. I ended up paddling for about 5 miles with one eye closed or both closed until I found a shady spot on the shore to take a break. After an hour break I paddled another mile till I had to find shade again. Finally after repeating that 3 times the heat broke and I paddled the final 15 or so miles in peace. While I was looking for a campsite I noted something hung on a sandy beach near the water. I couldn't quite make it out. When I got closer I could t lol it was a flock of birds but they didn't look like anything I had seen so far. When I paddled over and got close enough I knew what they were. 5 Pelicans. That's when it hit me that I'm less that 500 miles from the gulf. I'm still seeing one or two build eagles but the wildlife will begin to change quickly the closer I get to the Gulf. And by that I mean possible alligators!
July 15
With only 6 miles to go I took my time getting packed up this morning. I had said I would be at the boat ramp at 11 am. I figured I would get on the river early and just float to get there early. Boy was I wrong. I had to put some effort in but got there right on the dot. I was greeted by a former Mississippi River source to sea paddler. It's still blows my mind how you can never have met someone before but you have a connection right away because of the river. You can be completely different. They know what you are going through. The heat, rain, bugs, mental struggles because they have been there and experienced every aspect of the river. It's the same reason why it's important to have people around me that are recovering from addiction. They know what it's like, not only to quit using but to live life everyday in recovery. They know what it's like to deal with not only the physical challenges but the mental challenges that continue to be a struggle.
July 14
There are pros and cons to camping on giant sand bars. Pro: less bugs, nice breeze, and great view of the stars. Con: No shade and the sun beats down on you and you wake up soaked in sweat. I felt like I was back in high school sitting in the sauna trying to cut weight for wrestling. Needless to say I got moving earlier than normal. After a near 50 mile day yesterday I felt a little better about getting to Vicksburg in time for my flight but I still needed to keep moving. Besides needing to put some miles in, I was running low on water. And yes I know that I am surrounded by water but I would have to be in a bad situation to drink out of the Mississippi. I only had about 5 liters left to start the day. And 55 miles to the next town. That might seem like a lot but when it's 95 degrees in July in Mississippi it goes fast. I messaged a former paddler who lived in Greenville, MS to ask where the best place to get water was in town. And I should have known better because he told me to let him know when I was going to be there and he would meet me at the ramp. I figured that the more miles I did today the less I would have to do tomorrow with rationed drinking water. I got about 6 miles outside of town and found a campsite. I started doing the math and realized that I had done 96 miles in 33 hrs, that includes sleeping. I felt pretty good as it's reducing my daily average left to Vicksburg.
July 13
The one thing I hate the most about my every day routine is packing us camp. I have never been a morning person and out here is no different. Depending on where I camp, I have to roll up my sleeping bag and pad. Take everything out of the tent. Break down the tent. Pack it up. Then carry all my gear back to the boat and strap it in. It's usually an hour minimum job. Many times longer from when I get out of my sleeping bag till I push off shore for the day. Today was just another day. I camped on a large sand bar in the middle of a river. I was probably 40 yards from the water and 200 yards from the higher ground where the trees start. After getting most of my gear packed I was sitting on my bag enjoying some gourmet coffee. If you want the recipe for my gourmet Wilderness coffee it's below. Taking in the view between sips I had a movie moment. Not just any movie but Dances with Wolves. I noticed a dog on the hill just standing there looking at me. But it wasn't just any dog and no it wasn't a wolf. It was a coyote. He stood there just observing for a while before getting more active. He strolled around just watching me, I was ok with the coyote as long as he was cool with me. I didn't know if he had friends but I wasn't gonna stay and find out. Plus since he was on an island I though he might try and steal my boat to escape. But I did feel a connection and mutual respect. After taking off, it was all about moving down the river as far as I could today. Just shy of 50 miles. I'll take that any day.
Andy's Gourmet Wilderness Coffee Recipe
+19 oz water
+3 instant coffee packs
+1 20oz gateraid bottle
Mix water and coffee in bottle and shake. Let sun heat to desired temperature. Enjoy.
July 12
One thing that happens when you get into recovery is that dreams can start to come true and you don't have to live in a nightmare any longer. Something that they don't tell you about are using dreams. Using dreams are extremely vivid dreams that involve a person drinking or drugging and usually happen early in sobriety. I have known people who have been sober for 20 years that still get them. They are so realistic and details that you often wake up not knowing if they are true or not if you are lucky. They can also wake you up in the dead of sleep panicking, covered in sweat. I'm mentioning this because that's how I woke up early this morning. I'm not 100% sure I was having a using dream but I came out of my slumber and heard snorting and just started screaming. I was so out of it I didn't know if it was real. After collecting my thoughts I chalked it up to a deer rutting around my tent and fell back asleep with one eye open. Literally and figuratively. When the sun came up and I got moving for the day I inspected the area around my tent. I concluded that it definitely wasn't a deer. It was a wild hog. I am telling myself that it was only one to keep from freaking out but judging by the tracks there had to be more than one of different sizes. Needless to say I packed up quickly and got on the water. I made it to Helena, AR and chained my boat up and went looking for some cold water and Wifi. I found a coffee shop and made myself comfortable. I have a previous engagement I need to be back in Columbus for in about 10 days so I was looking for flights. This is more challenging than I thought. After not planning anything more than a day or two in in advance, now I have to plan 10 days and several hundred miles. I decided that Jackson, MS was the largest airport I could reasonably get to in that amount of time. I hit purchase and my mind went spinning. Now I had to make it happen. I had 226 miles to get to Vicksburg, MS. Find a place to store my boat and gear. Find a way to get from Vicksburg to Jackson in time to catch my flight by the mid day the 20th. I started running scenarios in my head about how many miles I needed to do each day. Plan A, B, C. I started thinking about what was going to go wrong, because I'm still an alcoholic and think that something is always going to go wrong. After running scenarios, good and bad the rest of the day, I decided to let it go and just focus on today. To continue to do the same thing I do everyday. Just do my best and paddle till it gets dark or I get tired. There is no sense in worrying about the future. All I have to do is try my best today and wake up tomorrow and repeat.
July 11
We were at homeland security threat level red all day. That is the highest level possible. Those foreign invading asian carp we dive bombing all day. After stopping at a riverside Mississippi River Museum for water and indoor plumbing, the terrorist moved to defcon 2. Less than a mile from the stop, I heard the splash of the fish cannon. It was a shot across the bow of the boat. The fish slammed into front haul with a thud. I freaked then laughed. My head was on a swivel. My mind was racing thinking what would I really do if one landed in my boat. I brushed it off and got back to paddling letting my guard down. That's when it happened. The enemy fired a torpedo under water. I raced towards me without a sound. A sneak attack. Then, IMPACT. I didn't have time to sound the alarm. No time to brace for impact. It launched out of the water and was a direct hit. A kamikaze fish. It missed the boat completely but slammed into my left arm. I never even saw it coming or going. It was a hard hit. One like when an older kid who doesn't know his own strength punches you in the arm. I screamed like anyone would do when a large fish jumps out of the water and tags you. After calming down I reached up to see if I was bleeding. When I grabbed my sleeve there was no blood. Just fish slime. I have been lucky to not have any soreness other than sunburn this entire trip...untill now. My bicep hurt the rest of the day. When I got through the rest of the day without any more attacks, I thought about lowering the threat level down a bit but had a flash back to the cowardly and Rachel earlier, and decided to stay on full alert through out the night to make sure the carp arnt stalking me.
July 10
After waking up in a nice bed, a final shower, a solid breakfast, and hanging out with some like minded people, it was time to say good bye to Memphis. Not sure if I should chalk it up to the state of Tennessee or the people of Memphis, but this city has been good to me. It was just what I needed to continue down the river. I said goodbye to my host, and more importantly my new friends and hit the river. As I was leaving the harbor of Memphis I had a stand off with the river boat Memphis Queen. The tour boat was following me for a mile or two. I could hear them giving the corny speech over the loud speaker. They finally passed me when I stopped to check my phone. When I started going again the boat was turning to go up stream. It was an old fashion stand off. I had to paddle backwards for a few minutes just to stay out and not get run over by the the giant wheel. Then the barge traffic came one after another. If I hadn't just left town it would have bothered me but I was just happy to be back on the water. I made it about 20 miles as the sun was setting and saw a large sand bar beach that I decided to call home for the evening. I found a little channel about 70 yards in the beach that went back to more stable ground I pulled my kayak in. I'm not sure if the water is still rising or falling so it could be an interesting morning. While I'm laying here writing this in my tent with the rain fly off, it's 72 degrees out and not a could in the sky. I looked up and realized that I'm camping. I know that might sound like a weird thing to realize, but it has just become natural to me. It's kind of like how not drinking or drugging has become natural to me now too. But like camping, the weather and temperature won't always be perfect and I'm sure I will wish conditions were different in the future. But you have got to weather a storm every once in a while to enjoy the perfect nights.
July 9
With no paddling today it was a great day to catch up on sleep. My host family was gone when I got up, but had left me the keys to there truck to run errands. I got food and some tent stakes since I had left mine on the river bank a few weeks ago. A much needed nap, then it was off to finish out my Memphis Experience with BBQ. It's great having locals take you to the spots that you might not find online and it was amazing!
July 8
Up and at em. Fresh brewed coffee, donuts, bacon, fruit, and a made to order omelette and we were out the door heading back to the river. Kind of a weird feeling, like it was just a dream getting off the river over night. When we got back to the river we met the guy who met me at the boat ramp with my boat. He was going to paddle with me down to Memphis. This is the first time I have paddled with anyone on this trip so it was defiantly different but I was happy to have someone to talk to. And on top of that, to say that this guy knows everything about the river and wild life is an understatement. He sees a bubble and will tell you what kind, color, and gender of fish made it. He decided to use the SUP (stand up paddleboard) that someone had let him tryout. He said he had only been on one for about 5 minutes before and we were about to do 18 miles. Guess that's why they call it an adventure. It was a beautiful day, and with most of gear out of the boat it was a nice float down the river. As we were paddling down a back channel we heard a plane off in the distance. Then another and another. We looked up and it was three WWII style plans chasing each other. We thought how cool does that look. They passed us going downstream. All the sudden the lead one pulls straight up and banks around and comes back for us. He must have saw us and thought how cool does that look. They started coming right for us. My buddy said "he's coming back, grab the camera". The planes kept dropping and buzzed us about 50 ft off the water. I was staring at my camera, thinking don't you dare mess this up. The third plane tipped his wings at us letting us know he saw us. They circled back and flew off. We looked at each other with dropped jaws saying how that was one of the coolest things we had ever seen. As I continued on getting my local guided tour we could see the skyline of Memphis getting larger. I was talking about how it gets lonely out on the river. I said that I needed a friend like Tom Hank's Wilson in Castaway. But I didn't want a Wilson ball, it had to be a Spaulding. Sure enough not 5 minutes later we saw a ball floating and sure enough it was a Spaulding. It had to be a sign. Once we reached Memphis we stored my boat at the marina and headed out. I had told them that growing up in East Tennessee, I had never been a fan of Memphis. They were gonna change that. I got a personal tour from the locals and the insight you don't get on paid tours. We headed back for a shower then it was off to an off Beale Street bar for live music that carried into the night.
July 7
I have a plan. Now if it stays the same we will see. I talked to some river angels from Memphis last night. Not spiritual angels with wings and halos but real people who help paddlers along the way. One thing I have learned in my recovery journey is that it's ok to ask for help. It's no different out here. I posted on the Mississippi River Paddlers page a few days ago that I was officially on the Mighty Miss and if any one in Memphis could lend a hand. All I was looking for was a place to store my boat so I could get a hotel for the night. Well I should have known better than to think that was all I would get from people from Tennessee. Several people reached out and offered support. After making some phone calls last night the plan was to get close to Memphis today. Paddle 18 miles tomorrow into Memphis with some locals who reached out then get put up for the night. Take the day off Sunday and resupply and head south Monday. It seemed good plan. I got moving and after a few miles I got a text from one of the Memphis boys saying the river was suppose to rise 3 feet a day for the next 2 days. And that if I make it to the boat ramp tonight, he would put me up for the night and paddle into Memphis tomorrow. With the river going up 3 feet means that most of the good camping sites would be gone and the opportunity to get out of the elements sounded like a good idea. I switched into high gear and made some miles. It was about 45 miles to the boat ramp. It went fairly smooth, mainly because I knew I was getting off the water. When I got close to the park where I was meeting my host all I knew was I meeting him at the boat ramp. My map showed the ramp as being off a channel. A channel I had just passed. I didn't want to risk getting further down stream and missing it completely so I paddled back up stream trying to find it. Yep no luck. I didn't have cell service to call my ride. I pulled over to the shore to ask a guy fishing where the boat ramp was. I figured if he had walked to the shore he would know where it was. Even if he did I wasn't going to find out. I quickly learned that he was not really fluent in the English language. He told me to watch out for the tree. I said that I was looking for the boat ramp. Which way? He said "watch out for the tree. Very bad." I started to repeat myself but figured I was going to hear about the very bad tree again so I decided to keep moving down stream. When I got a pocket of service I pulled up google earth and found it down stream. As I was pulling up I heard a truck coming blazing out of the woods blasting his horn. It was perfect timing. After we exchanged names and made sure we were the right people we loaded my boat on his trailer and headed off. When you meet this guy you probably don't know what to think. A really outgoing personality but just a good old boy. He said that he would probably just take me and my gear to the other guy's house so I could stay in the same place instead of moving all around. I said that it didn't matter to me as long as I wasn't sleeping in my tent. I wasn't sure if we were ever going to get out of the state park because this guy was stopping for every living creature that was crossing the road. This guy was talking about every wildlife and had a story to go with it. At this point I wasn't sure what to believe but it was entertaining. We came to a giant field and saw a coyote running through it. He slowed down and stuck his fingers in his mouth like he was going to whistle but mad some weird noise. The coyote that was 150-200 yards away stopped in its tracks and stared at us. I don't know who was staring at this guy more, the Coyote or me. It was amazing. I then realized that this guy was a real deal outdoorsman. We got to his house, the perfect little farm. I could live there for sure. We unhooked the trailer and headed for Memphis to drop me off. We were tearing down the back roads I was getting the full tour. From the historical general store, to houses of famous blues singers to the best sledding hill in west Tennessee. Then he asked me if I wanted to see something cool. I said sure, I mean what else do I have to do. We head down a side road from the side road we were on to a dirt road. Through a gate into a field. Next thing you know I'm standing knee deep in a hemp field. That's right a hemp field about the size of a football field. I wasn't quite sure how to feel about that at first. It was completely legal. After asking several question about the difference between hemp and marijuana, I felt a little better. It looks basically the same and got me very excited. It was a feeling that I haven't had in a long time. It reminded me how much I missed my girlfriend Mary Jane since I dumped her. But I know where that will lead me. It was still something that was neat to see that I wouldn't normally see. We continued to the house of the other river angels where I would be staying. A retired couple in there 80s. They invited me in and gave me a room. As we sat there talking, all I could think about is how bad i probably smelled and wanted a shower. They asked about my story and my struggles. As we were talking I found out they had 70 years of sobriety between the two of them. It was great to know that we had much more in common than just the river. I finally got a shower and a nice bed with AC.
July 6
Mentally I am breaking down. Every little thing bothers me and sets me off. The funny thing is no one is there for me to go off on so I just have a pity party and keep moving. It was told to me early in recovery that if I’m in a bad mood I need to HALT. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. It's usually one of those 4 things that has us frustrated. Well guess what, it's all of them. I'm always hungry. I'm angry that the river won't cooperate with me and just push me down stream. I'm by myself all day everyday, so yeah I'm a little lonely. And I'm not even going to dignify the tired part. But sometimes you have to push through the hard times to get where you want to go. This river is a beast. There is a current and if you are in it, it can be dangerous. And if you aren't in it, it can be even more dangerous. I am still in the learning stages of this river, so everyday is a struggle. And throw the weather on top of it. I was rounding a bend today and saw a storm coming at me. You could literally see the rain on the water heading for me. Then I saw the lightning so I made my way to shore and tried to get a tarp set up before it hit. I failed at that too so I just put the blue tarp over my head and stood there like one of the ghosts in pac man. After the rains I pushed on a few more miles before finding an island sandbar to camp on. I immediately felt better when I got out of the boat. But knowing I'm only a few days from Memphis makes me feel even better. I'm sure tomorrow will be a challenge, but if it was easy, everyone would be out here. At least that's what I'm gonna keep telling myself.